Tottenham supporter’s eyewitness account of how Eric Dier ‘lost the plot’ as he stormed stand

The England international jumped into the crowd following Spurs’ FA Cup defeat to Norwich on Wednesday evening to confront a supporter who is said to have been arguing with the player’s brother

Tottenham Hotspur's Eric Dier confronts a supporter in the stands (PA)

A Tottenham Hotspur fan who witnessed Eric Dier’s altercation with a fellow supporter first-hand says the midfielder “lost the plot”.

The England international jumped into the crowd following Spurs’ FA Cup defeat to Norwich on Wednesday evening to confront a supporter who is said to have been arguing with the player’s brother.

The Football Association have launched an investigation into the incident with the 26-year-old likely to be charged.

Spurs fan Neil, who is a regular at home games, was nearby when Dier entered the West Stand.

“It all happened right in front of us,” he told Talksport. “There were two guys who were fighting after the match, they were in the crowd pushing and trying to fight, and, I don’t know, but it looked like it could have been his brother – that’s what Mourinho said.

“But then Eric Dier lost the plot, and the next thing you know he is bounding up the stairs. There must have been about 20 fans trying to hold him back, he was like the Incredible Hulk.

“It was really sad to see actually; he lost the plot, lost it, and I feel sorry for him. He actually had a good game, as well. There was a Spurs fan who had obviously done something or said something, that’s who Eric Dier was after.

“A Spurs fan then put his hands up and tried to get out of the ground and Dier just went after him and was going bananas. As I said, I felt sorry for him. He lost it, completely lost it.”

Boss Jose Mourinho said he understood why Dier acted in the way he did, and hoped the club would not take disciplinary action against the 26-year-old.

It is understood Spurs will conduct a thorough review of the incident.

Mourinho said: “I think Eric Dier did something that we professionals cannot do but in these circumstances every one of us would do.

“Because when somebody insults you, and your family is there, and you get involved with the person that is insulting you, in this case a younger brother, I think Eric did what we professionals cannot do.”

The incident happened in the area behind the dugouts, which is a corporate section, and Mourinho has criticised it for not housing “real Tottenham fans”.

“Of course some are Tottenham fans but I think a lot of corporate,” he said.

“A lot (are there by) invitation, a lot of people with special status and probably it’s the place of the stadium where I sometimes have doubts over if they are the real Tottenham fans because these (real fans) are the ones who support the boys until the last.”